High School Valentine
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Helen hated Valentine's day.  Two hours into the school day and already her locker was stuffed with tokens of affection. Rating because our favorite characters are slightly potty mouthed.


**A/N:**This is a prequel of sorts to my upcoming story "Sanctuary High". Let me know what you think.

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><p>Helen groaned. Two hours into the school day and her locker was already stuffed with Valentines. Her friends were in the same boat. The Five might have only been juniors but they were still the most popular students in the school. She pulled out a spool of red ribbon and counted out the gestures of affection into groups of ten. Each group was tied with a ribbon. "Tie them tight," Nigel reminded her. "We don't want them to fall out."<p>

"Despite my apparent status as queen of the school, I have yet to win the Valentine's Day count," she scoffed.

Nigel smirked as she dropped the tokens of affection into the garbage bag he was holding. "What's Johnny got planned for the holiday?"

"Like I would know. John's grand romantic gestures are always kept secret. It makes them more special."

"Fair enough. You two are still joining us at The Cabal, right?"

"Don't we always?"

"True. By the way, your ass looks amazing in those jeans."

"Careful, Nigel. You don't want John turning his temper against you." Helen smiled at her friend before hurrying to class. Being late was not something Helen Magnus did.

It turned out that John's romantic gesture this year was a hand crafted Valentine based on Victorian Era design along with a daffodil, Helen's favorite flower. Helen was very touched. At least John put thought into his Valentines. She was allowed to keep that Valentine since it didn't count if it was from John. He was her boyfriend after all.

After school, The Five found their way to their favorite hangout, a pool hall known as The Cabal. They gathered around their customary table and Nigel pulled out the garbage bag. Hundreds of Valentines poured out. "Let's count," he declared.

Each member of The Five had tied a different color ribbon around the stacks. Everyone reached for their stacks and began to tally. Nigel took their tally sheets to compare numbers and check calculations. "And the winner by just five votes is…drum roll please…" Everyone pounded on the table in anticipation. "Nikola Tesla!"

"HA! Take that biker boy, I won!" Nikola crowed, pointing at John. John just laughed.

"That means you get fudge with cinnamon hearts this year," Helen grinned. "Tomorrow okay?"

"Works for me," Nikola nodded.

"To hell with that," Nigel said, "Let's open them."

They grabbed for their stacks and ripped them open. Chocolate was passed around as The Five read through their Valentines. "Somehow, I don't think my soul mate writes in text speak," James snorted.

The other laughed. Nikola was the next to speak up. "Really, if you're going to profess undying love, at least spell my name right."

"This one means well but they misquoted Shakespeare," Helen clucked. She tossed into another pile. Helen made The Five reply to all the decent letters. She wrote out form letters that the others copied and signed.

"You'd think they'd do their research since they're competing with Johnny," Nikola snorted. He sent other into his reply pile. Helen always went through his letters. She never thought were enough the he found good enough for a reply. "This one," he murmured, looking at new one, "gets thrown out because they want John to die."

"Nikola, if you haven't wished death on John five times before the morning bell, its' because you're sick," James pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm a part of The Five," Nikola stated. "I have that right. The mindless hordes don't."

"He's got you there," Helen agreed.

Nikola tossed another Valentine into his response pile. "Next year, I'm making my freshman partner write those damned things," he declared.

"Same here," James agreed.

"People will know it's not your hand writing," Helen pointed out.

"I'll teach the brat to copy mine and then sign them," Nikola shrugged.

"How you can be sure your partner will be a brat when you haven't even met them yet?" James asked.

"Because Nikola thinks everyone but The Five is a brat," Helen explained. Nikola stuck his tongue out at her.

James shrugged. He scowled at a new Valentine. "Rip out cards? Did we go back to grade school and I missed it?"

Nikola and Nigel had abandoned their Valentines for the moment in favor of studying John's pile. Every year John got Valentines from woman and men that included very explicit photos. The Five assumed it had to do with him being the resident 'bad boy' of the school. "They get more and more inventive every year," Nigel noted in an almost awed tone.

"That one has to be photo shopped," Nikola stated. "No way is anyone that flexible."

"You never know," Nigel shrugged. "She could do yoga."

Nikola scowled. "I call bullshit."

John studied the photo. "I'll tell you what, Nikola. I'll try it out with Helen and let you know." His girlfriend flashed them a flirty smile.

Then let out a yelp as she opened her next Valentine. "I think someone mixed up my locker with John's again."

James plucked the photo shopped picture from her hands. "No, that's clearly your name on it. The girl must really like you."

"Too bad I don't swing that way," Helen snorted.

"Send her my way, I might be interested," Nigel said.

"I thought you were with trench coat boy," James commented.

"No, he's with that girl with the tongue piercing," Nikola corrected.

"You're both wrong," Nigel drawled.

"So who is the flavor of the week?" John inquired.

"Damien."

"And what is Damien's defining feature?" Helen probed.

Nigel wiggled his eyebrows. "I'd you, Helen dearest, but such things are fit for the ears of a lady."

"How very naughty of you, Nigel," she teased.

"Why do you want to know?" Nikola asked. "None of them ever last more than a month anyway."

Helen shrugged. "I'm curious."

"Let just call him…dog collar boy," Nigel decided.

His friends all shot him furtive, slightly scandalized glances. "If that's what you want," James finally agreed.

They went back their Valentines for the next few hours. "That's all of them," John declared, as the sun was sinking in west. "She we make our way to Magnus Manor?"

"To Casa De Magnus it is," Nikola agreed.

They gathered their things and headed to Helen's house. A burn barrel was already set up in the backyard. "And now," Nigel intoned, "We come to the ceremonial Burning of The Valentines. Nikola, since you won this year, you have the honor of starting the blaze. John?"

John stepped forward with a handful of Valentines and his personal blue lighter with a gold dragon wrapped around it. "You do know how to use it don't you?" he teased. Nikola glared at him. "Just checking." He handed Nikola the Valentines and lighter before stepping back.

"They say love makes the world go around," Nikola said, flicking the lighter. "But this kind of love would bring it to a grounding halt." He touched the flame to the corner of the stack. "And not in a good way." With those final words, Nikola tossed the Valentines into the burn barrel along with a handful powder he'd been concealing in his palm.

Everyone shrieked in surprise as blue flames shot into the air. Once everything settled down, Helen reached into her pack. "I think it's time for some s'mores," she declared.

They broke out the chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers to celebrate surviving another holiday in one piece. Every time the fire got low they added more Valentines to keep it burning. Too soon for their liking it got late. Late enough that they had to start leaving one by one until only Helen and John were left to watch the fire go out. "Don't write the form letters tonight," John advised. "They can keep for a day or two."

"I suppose you're right," Helen sighed, snuggling closer to him. "And I'm too tired to argue." John kissed the top of her head. Helen listened to the careful beat of his heart before smiling up at him. "Can I see it?"

John chuckled. "Who told you?"

"James. Who else?"

"I'll get him for that."

Helen tugged sharply on his hair. "You will not. Now show me."

John slipped from her embrace and dropped his coat to the ground. He pulled his shirt from his pants and unbuttoned it. Helen gasped as she saw the new tattoo John had gotten done. Permanently inked over his heart was her name in flowery script surrounded by a circle of roses. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, running her fingertips over it. "Though I don't know why you did it."

"You've already imprinted yourself on my heart. I thought I would make it so everyone could see."

"You are too much for words sometimes, John Druitt."

"And you love every second, Helen Magnus.


End file.
